Leon Moore joins management team at Thurlow Nunn League First Division North leaders Harleston Town

Recently-appointed Leon Moore could feasibly be a title-winning manager come the end of April, but it is Harleston Town’s long-term ambitions that primarily attracted him to the club.

Chairman Adam Mullin and former boss Craig Trudgill had been in charge of first-team affairs at Harleston ever since Adam Gusterson opted to take over at higher-league Dereham Town last month.

The duo will remain involved for the time being, but Moore – who left fellow Thurlow Nunn League First Division North side Debenham LC late last year – has now joined the management set-up.

His first match in the dugout on Saturday may not have gone to plan as Norwich CBS ran out 4-1 winners at Wilderness Lane, but Harleston still remain top of the pile, one point ahead of Mulbarton Wanderers.

But while Moore has his eyes firmly on the prize, he is just as excited by Mullin’s plans for the future.

“I won the title as a coach at Stowmarket a couple of years ago and to have a chance to win a trophy so soon after coming in is fantastic,” he said. “But it is much more than just that. Adam is putting down some great foundations and it is exciting to hear where he wants the club to go.

“He has got huge plans and the work that is being done off the pitch is fantastic. They want to get everything into place as soon as possible and I really bought in to all of that.”

The race for the title currently looks like it could go down to the wire, with third-placed Swaffham Town also in the running.

The Pedlars are eight points adrift of Harleston, but they would gain control of the battle were they to win their three games in hand.

Moore is expecting a number of twists and turns over the coming weeks, but he is hoping both his and the Harleston players’ experience will help to get the job done.

“Any of the top three can win it but I hope it is us – we will be doing everything we can to make it happen,” he added.

“I have won it before and hopefully that adds something, but it is a team full of winners and players that have won at a higher level.

“It is very much one game at a time and the lads will know that because most of them will have been in this type of situation before.”

Harleston travel to Felixstowe & Walton United Reserves tomorrow (3pm).